Andrew Slattery’s Creggs Pipes set for ‘fairytale’ attempt in Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh
After winning a Group Two last time out, trainer Andrew Slattery has said he has nothing to lose by running Creggs Pipes in top level company at the Curragh on Sunday.
TRAINER Andrew Slattery admits he is living the dream as he prepares to saddle Creggs Pipes in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
The daughter of Rip Van Winkle has been a tremendous servant to her connections over the past three seasons, winning seven of her 22 starts and placing on a further five occasions.
She came up short on her only previous appearance at Group One level in last season's Matron Stakes at Leopardstown, but having produced a career-best performance to win the Group Two Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh last time out, there are genuine hopes the fairytale could become a reality.
Slattery said: "She's in great order at the moment, I think she's as well as we've had her all year.
";I think she probably needed her first two runs of the season and she won very easily the last day.
"It's great just to have a runner in a Group One with a chance. Things like this don't normally happen to people like us.
"Everything has gone so well in the run-up to the race and it's just a question of whether she's good enough now."
MOST READ
Creggs Pipe has never won over further than an extended mile and faces a mile and a quarter this weekend, but Slattery expects her to rise to the challenge.
"I'm probably the only one that thinks it, but I honestly think she could be ever better over a mile and a quarter than she is over a mile," said the Cooldine-based trainer.
"I might be totally wrong, but I have a feeling it might just help her find the extra few pounds she needs to find.
"You look at all the multi-millionaires who want to have runners in Group Ones. We're only small men and we're there.
"We're not afraid to take them on. We're going in there with nothing to lose."
Creggs Pipes will need to raise her game if she is to see off two mares who have already struck gold at the highest level in the Dermot Weld-trained Zhukova and John Gosden's Journey.
Gosden's five-year-old is one of the three British challengers along with Sir Michael Stoute's Smart Call, who was fourth in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot last week, and Nezwaah from Roger Varian's powerful yard.
Aidan O'Brien saddles Pocketfullofdreams and Rain Goddess, whilst Joseph O'Brien's Intricately, the Tony Martin-trained Laganore, Jim Bolger's Turret Rocks and Santa Monica from Charles O'Brien's stable complete the 11-strong field.